The United Kingdom Metropolitan Police has arrested two key LTTE agents on Thursday afternoon (21) under the Anti Terrorism Act. The two suspects identified as A.C. Shanthan aged 51 and G. Lambert aged 29. A.C. Shanthan is said to be UK leader of the LTTE and other is known to be a fund raiser for the same outfit. According to the reports G. Lambert has been arrested at the Heathrow airport on his arrival from Dubai.

Fri, 2007-06-22 03:14 @ Asiantribune.com / Neville de Silva

London June 22 :Two leading office bearers of the British Tamil Association (BTA) were arrested yesterday early morning by the UK's counter terrorism command and are now being held in Police custody.

AC Shanthan, president of the BTA, believed to be the LTTE's top man here and the association's head of finance Goldan Lambert were arrested in connection with the demonstration held at Hyde Park last July at which cutouts of LTTE leader Velupillai Prabhakaran were displayed on the stage and flags with the LTTE emblem were flown.

Yesterday, Lambert was arrested at Heathrow Airport as he returned to the UK from Dubai.

The two were arrested under Section 12 (3) of the UK Terrorism Act with prohibits "support for a terrorist organisation." The LTTE was banned among some 20 other groups, as a foreign terrorist organisation in 2001 after the act became law the previous year.

Immediately after the arrests, the anti-terrorist police launched simultaneous raids on the head office of the BTA "Eelam House" located in Mitcham, Surrey and the office of the Tamil Youth Organisation (TYO) in Colindale, London.

The Hyde Park rally that sparked off the year long investigation that led to today's arrests was organised by the BTA and the TYO.

Shanthan and Lambert will not be entitled to bail under the Terrorism Act and could be held for 28 days in custody during which any formal charges would have to be filed.

Informed sources said that other arrests could follow once the police siphon through any evidence obtained following the two raids.

- Asian Tribune -

Percy

Post subject: London LTTE chief arrested

Posted: Fri Jun 22, 2007 3:24 pm

London LTTE chief arrested

A C Shanthan has remained for almost 20 years as the hands-on leader of the LTTE who was responsible for organising LTTE events, fund raising and all other LTTE activity in the UK. The LTTE web site www.eelam.com was registered in A. C. Shanthan’s name, with the LTTE HQ, Eelam House, 202 Long Lane, London SE1 as the registered address.

@ Asiantribune.com / Fri, 2007-06-22By Dushy Ranetunge in London

London, 22 June, (): The long standing chief of the LTTE in London A C Shanthan alias A Krishanthakumar was arrested by New Scotland Yard at approximately 3.45pm on Thursday evening under the British Terrorism Act 2000. His arrest under the Terrorism Act 2000 is significant in that he can be held for up to 28 days. A.C. Shanthan was very close to Balasingham and the duo more or less ran the LTTE in London. He also accompanied Balasingham and wife Adel during their last visit to Geneva for peace talks in February 2006.

He is spending the nights these days in a cell at the Paddington Green Police station in central London where all the high profile terrorists including the ones from the IRA were held.

Shanthan was scheduled to be arrested next week, but another arrest led to the date being brought forward. This second character is known as Golden Lambert (Sri Lankan Tamil) who is a key figure in LTTE front, the Tamil Youth Organisation (TYO).

Scotland Yard was tracking Lamberts movements and on Thursday, Golden Lambert flew into London from Dubai and was arrested at the airport. This necessitated the arrest of Shanthan in order not to compromise the investigation.

As I write this report, the British police are raiding the offices of several LTTE fronts such as the British Tamil Association (BTA), Tamil Youth Organisation(TYO) and several private residences including that of Shanthan. The Police have removed a large amount of material from Shanthan’s residence.

The arrest relates to a propaganda event the LTTE organised in Hyde Park last year in breach of the Terrorism Act 2000. Prominent Tamils in London made several complaints to the British police about the event and Police initiated inquiries and referred it to the Crown Prosecution Service. The Crown Prosecution Service believes that there is a prima fascia case against the two.

The authorities are considering other arrests.

A C Shanthan is from the Chavakachcheri region in Jaffna. His wife is a cousin of the LTTE leader Prabakaran’s wife Madhivadini.

After the Rajiv Gandhi assassination in May 1991, the Indian intelligence agency, RAW stepped up surveillance on LTTE international operations. Aggressive lobbying by diplomats of the Indian foreign office, led to the deportation of Sathasivam Krishnaswamy alias Kittu, the charismatic one legged one time Jaffna commander from London to Switzerland. Kittu had been in charge of the LTTE operations in London at the time.

With Kittu’s deportation, A C Shanthan filled the vacuum in London and has remained for almost 20 years as the hands-on leader of the LTTE who was responsible for organising LTTE events, fund raising and all other LTTE activity in the UK.

The LTTE web site www.eelam.com was registered in A. C. Shanthan’s name, with the LTTE HQ, Eelam House, 202 Long Lane, London SE1 as the registered address.

Shanthan was very close to Balasingham and the duo more or less ran the LTTE in London. He also accompanied Balasingham and wife Adel during their last visit to Geneva for peace talks in February 2006.

Shanthan operated via the British Tamil Association (BTA) which had uniformed goons in the LTTE Vanni police style, to police Tamil fund raising and propaganda events.

The BTA was Shanthan’s fund raising vehicle and some of the monies raised and extorted were deposited into various British registered LTTE charities. These would show up in the charities accounts as an extraordinarily large component of “cash” donations. The British Charity Commissioner during their investigation of the TRO in London commented on these anonymous cash donations. The British registered charities acted as the money laundering vehicle to move funds out of the United Kingdom without attracting Tax, for charitable “rehabilitation” work in Sri Lanka. In reality the “rehabilitation” work was done by the NGO’s and the Sri Lankan state, while BTA funds were making it to the LTTE coffers to fund the terrorist cause.

Murder

There is a dark episode in relation to Shanthan’s past which may implicate him to the murder of two LTTE leaders in Paris a few years ago, Kandiah Perinpanathan formerly the LTTE's treasurer and Kajan of the Eelamurasu.

In the late 1990’s the LTTE’s money collectors/extortionists went on strike at Eelam House over a dispute. Perinpanathan and Kajan were brought in from Paris to sort out the mess. The two put in place a new financial system in London, which was viewed by Shanthan as an encroachment onto his turf and led to disagreements. Soon afterwards, Perinpanathan and Kajan were shot and killed in Paris. Many Tamils in London as well as the LTTE in the Vanni suspected Shanthan of being involved. On one occasion he was being questioned about the issue during a visit to the Vanni and was only saved because of intervention by Balasingham. Since then Shanthan has never travelled to the Vanni alone. He would always accompany Balasingham.

Shanthan used to operate from Eelam House in London, which was sold a few years ago. Fr S J Emmanuel, a prominent LTTE propagandist/lobbyist and a former vicar general of Jaffna, christened Eelam house as the High Commission of Tamil Eelam during the opening ceremony.

Eelam house had a large hall on the ground floor which contained propaganda material and offices on the top floor with computers, which contained sensitive information, with the identities of LTTE sympathisers and fund raising details.

The LTTE in London were always cocky about their perceived invincibility. During the heroes day speech prior to the British listing of the LTTE as a terrorist organisation, Balasingham suggested to the Tamil audience, speaking in Tamil language, that even if the whites ban them, they have smart lawyers and accountants who could get around the ban. It is perhaps this sense of invincibility that led Shanthan, to so brazenly organise a terrorist propaganda event in breach of the British Terrorism Act 2000. The LTTE in London always thought that they could pull the wool over the British authorities because they were so smart.

On Thursday, the LTTE’s invincible little world in London came crashing down. The arrests will deal a severe blow to LTTE activity in the United Kingdom and its in line with other arrests in the United States and France. The organisation is under severe military pressure in Sri Lanka and its international network is facing significant disruption.

The International community wants de-escalation of the Sri Lankan conflict and these strategies are expected to encourage the LTTE to compromise and move towards the negotiating table.

London's Metropolitan Police said Chrishanthakumar faces five charges, including helping to arrange a meeting he knew was "to support a proscribed organisation, namely the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam" in July last year.

@ LBO / AFP / 29 June 2007

LONDON, June 28, 2007 (AFP) - Two men appeared in court in London Thursday accused of membership of Sri Lanka's Tamil Tiger rebels, banned in Britain as a terrorist organisation.

Arunachalam Chrishanthakumar, also known as AC Shanthan, 50, and Goldan Lambert, 29, appeared at Westminster Magistrates Court, central London, charged under the Terrorism Act 2000.

The pair, who both gave addresses in south London, are accused of providing support to a "proscribed organisation".

Chrishanthakumar was remanded in custody until a further hearing at the same court on August 9. Lambert was released on bail but was ordered to appear on the same date to hear if the case will be sent to a higher court.

London's Metropolitan Police said Chrishanthakumar faces five charges, including helping to arrange a meeting he knew was "to support a proscribed organisation, namely the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam" in July last year.

Another charge relates to an alleged address of a meeting in London to encourage support for the Tigers, and allegedly receiving 1,500 pounds (2,230 euros, 3,003 dollars) in January 2005 "intending that it be used or having reasonable cause to suspect that it may be used for terrorism purposes".

He is also accused of receiving literature and manuals "intending that they be used or having reasonable cause to suspect that they may be used for the purposes of terrorism".

The documents allegedly included information about underwater warfare and naval weapons systems and bomb disposal.

The fifth charge accuses him of membership of the Tigers.

Lambert faces one charge relating to alleged help he gave to manage the London meeting last July.

If found guilty, the two could face trial in Sri Lanka where the Tigers have been fighting for a separate Tamil state in the north and east of the country since 1972.

The Tigers have been held responsible for a spate of bomb attacks in the capital Colombo and elsewhere during their separatist campaign. The war has claimed an estimated 60,000 lives.

Saman

Post subject: Re: Two top LTTE leaders arrested in UK

Posted: Sun Apr 19, 2009 9:18 am

Joined: Fri Aug 12, 2005 12:54 pmPosts: 192

Leading UK Tamil found guilty of supplying bomb parts

The jury did not reach a verdict on counts of receiving military equipment, receiving money and belonging to a forbidden organization

@ THE GUARDIAN , LONDON Sunday, Apr 19, 2009,

A leading member of the British Tamil community was convicted on Friday of supplying bomb-­making materials for Sri Lanka’s Tamil Tiger separatists.

Arunachalam Chrishanthakumar co-ordinated the supply of equipment for the Tigers despite previously being warned by police to stop buying electrical components. He claimed he had been helping poor poultry farmers.

A jury at Kingston crown court, southwest London, found the 52-year-old, known as Shanthan, guilty of supplying material to the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). It also convicted him of receiving documents for the purposes of terrorism.

But the jury failed to reach verdicts on three other charges against Chrishanthakumar and on one charge against another man. The Crown Prosecution Service will decide this week whether there will be a retrial.

Jurors were told that Chrishanthakumar was a member of the LTTE, but were unable to reach a verdict on the charge. They were also told he was the head of the United Tamil Organization in the UK before it was banned in 2001. Police became aware in 2004 he was buying computers, circuit boards, remote control equipment, components used in radio tracking devices and satellite equipment from an army surplus store in Southsea, Hampshire. They ­believed this was being sent to LTTE forces.

Chrishanthakumar claimed the boards were for providing cheap electricity, including lighting hen houses. He was not arrested but was told to stop such activity. In July 2007 police searches at his home uncovered evidence that allegedly demonstrated continued work for the Tamil Tigers.

The jury decided by a majority that he had received electrical components and terrorist literature and manuals. But they failed to reach a verdict on three counts: Receiving military equipment, receiving money and belonging to a proscribed organization, the LTTE.

They also failed to agree on a charge that Jagatheeswaran Muraleetharan, 46, from Powys, Wales, had received electrical components for the purpose of terrorism. His brother Jeyatheswaran Vythyatharan, 40, also from Powys, was cleared of the same charge following the nine-week trial.